So, I don't have a full length mirror...

So I had this outfit in my head because I bought these tights at Target before I left (for $5 mind you!!) and I was dying to wear them.  Add a little color in my life.  I super adore this scarf given to me by a dear dear friend.  And of course my fall boots which will be making multiple appearances until I get these bad boys.  

 Lavar wasn't really diggin' this outfit.  And he is my style consultant.  Actually, the man is very stylish.  I will do a post of him and some of his crazy style choices someday.  (think red shoes, white stripes...) (oh and MiMi, you are thinking of this post, aren't you? haha He DOESN'T match!)

 To be honest with you, I was actually diggin' the outfit.  I was super comfy, the tights are fabulous and soft.  The sweater and shirt were comfy and loose and I was wearing a skirt without freezing my tooshie off.

I have a few items of business!  One is that you will see down to the right I have created my own community on Blog Frog.  I think it is an excellent idea and I am sooooo excited about it.  So go ahead and start a convo there or check out one that's already started!

Also, I have had quite a few Etsy shops submit their info for the Handmade Holiday Gift Guide I am created this year.  As you probably saw, there is a little button up there to the left so beautifully made by my momma.  If you have an Etsy shop or know of one that you think should be included, e-mail me at natalia@manouvellemode.com.  If you have no idea what I am talking about, click that beauty at the top left and you will find more info!  Can't wait to look through all the shops!

Happy Friday!

Liked it, Did it, Pinned #3

Hello all!

I am feeling a little better about this party because all over bloggy land I am seeing people do what they pin!  Now just to get them to link them up!  I also found a party over at Cami's blog, All Things Lovely, and it is pretty much the same thing.  So her and I might be hosting together next week!  No different for you all, just link up where you normally would and it will go to both blogs=more traffic for you=more reasons to link up! Voila!

So my mom, being the awesomest mom that there is, saw my tweet (yes, she's awesome and she's on twitter) that people weren't linking up to my little party.  And like all moms do, she felt bad for her little baby, no one was coming to her party!! :(  So she went out and did something she pinned and sent it to me!  Gosh, I love my mom.  Now my party is awesome, because my mom's here.  That's how it works right?

Here is her creation:

She did that.  Like, with her own handwriting.  That artistic ability must skip generations, because I most certainly couldn't do that.  And I'm totally pinning it.  

There were 19 link ups last week!  Here are the top 3 hits from last week.

First we have some beautiful apothecary jars from Wayward Girls Crafts.

Junk in the Trunk Trio's Book Page Pumpkin

And Fabulously Flawed super fabulous feather extension.

How cute is she? Chatting on the phone??

Incase you're wondering, my Pinterest inspired project was posted yesterday.  And yes, it was a hairstyle.  I might need to branch out a bit...

Now last week I forgot to put up the button to have on your posts or linky pages.  Some of you super awesome people put my button on the post to say you were linking and I would like to say thanks!  If you didn't, shame on you.  Totally kidding!  But just incase this is your first time around these parts, here are my 'rules.'

1.) Make sure you know where the picture for inspiration is coming from. It is someone's work and you should ask permission to use it in the blog post and give credit where it is due!2.) Link the post URL, not your blog's.3.) Add the linky button somewhere in the blog post and in your linky bar.  Parties are more fun with more people!4.) No link and leaves!  Check out at least two other posts that catch your eye and share some comment love!5.) I would love if you were following me!  (totally don't have to, but I love new friends!)

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Can't wait to see what's inspired you this week!

~ Parc Tete d'Or ~

Lavar planned an awesome day for us on Saturday.  If you know my husband, this is huge.  You know those days where if you put a soundtrack too it, it could be a movie?  Ya, that was this day.

Best Panini in the world to start the day off.  Oh.my.gosh. they slather the cheese on like it's butter.

oh yummy... need I says more?  My favorite, crepe with jam.  Soooooo good.

This is the Parc Tete d'Or.  {French for head of gold, don't know why it's called that, I didn't see any gold heads.}  It is a beautiful place.  Anyone can just waltz in here and enjoy the afternoon walking around, skating, bike riding, running.  It's awesome.  It also has a zoo with giraffes and zebras.  Best part, you ask?  It's free.  Yep.

And what I wore.  I was so excited to take some pictures in such a beautiful place!  I love these ones because Lavar was making me laugh and people were staring.  It was awesome.  He was like 'work it, work it, this could be a job for you! Go baby, ya!'  

Skirt ~ Charlotte Russe; Top ~ Gifted, Jacket ~ KMart back in the day; Necklace ~ Gift but I'm pretty sure Target; Shoes ~ Payless; Bracelets ~ gift

Then we stopped at this little Italian joint, in France (we never eat at French restaurants) for dinner and it was fabulous.  I had eggplant parmesana.  So yummy.  I was so stuffed I couldn't finish my dinner.  Then I ordered this:

And this had to be the perfect ending to a perfect day.

Hope you all had wonderful weekends as well!!

I linked this up to http://forblogs.blogspot.com

Full Face Makeup less than $15!

Let's be real.  How hard is it for moms to find the time to do a full face of makeup?  There are so many other things going on, sometimes {a lot of the time} all I get to slap on is mascara.  Because, you know, I don't want to scare anyone.  Not only is it hard to find the time, seriously, it's an expensive habit, buying makeup.  So imagine my complete delight when I found the line e.l.f. cosmetics last summer.  Instant love.  Their products are really great quality as well as really great price.  You can go crazy and it will still be under the price of your normal foundation.
So lately I have been thinking about what kind of tutorials would be fun for the blog.  I happen to have quite a few e.l.f. products already so I thought 'why not a full face using e.l.f.??'  The only item that wasn't e.l.f. was the mascara and it was a drug store brand, L'oreal Volumious.  Fabulous as well. 

Here is how it turned out.  Not sure why I look so mad, sorry.  I really am a nice person.

 I am LOVING the lip color from them.  It's called Posh.  Oh and by the way I am not being compensated in any way for this post.  Dang it.  But hey, e.l.f. call me!

I did a video for you with the products and everything.  I shortened it by just showing me doing one eye.  I don't like watching really long tutorials, so I thought you might not either.  Well, here ya go!

{I did this into the camera on my computer. It's kinda tough because it isn't the same as a mirror. I'm not usually this clumsy doing makeup.}

Products:Mineral shadow ~ Elegant - $1Custom eyes lid ~ Pink Ice - $1Custom eyes crease ~ Moondust - $1Cream eye liner ~ Coffee - $3Mascara ~ L'oreal Volumious - $5.84 (e.l.f. has one for $1 or $3)Tinted moisturizer ~ Nude - $3Blush ~ Peachy Keen - $3Lips ~ Sugar Plum (first) - $1Lips ~ Posh - $1
You can see more videos on my YouTube Channel and I plan to post at least one makeup and one hair tutorial a week.  So any suggestions, send them my way!
    

My Wish List...

So Christmas is around the corner!  Okay, really it's not.  It's just that here in France they don't really celebrate Halloween and definitely not Thanksgiving so I have kinda skipped right on to Christmas!  I have come across a few things in my serving of the webs that I am putting on my wishlist.  (mom, are you paying attention?)

These shoes from BlowFish Shoes are to.die.for.  I love them.  I really want Vance, at the end here to the right.  But they are 5 inch heels.  And as I don't mind being tall, I don't want to be ginormous.  People stare at my family enough, I am not sure I need to add to the freak show.

            Aerin                                                          Valentino                                      Vance

I thought these pants were so cute.  Did you know TopShop has tall sizes?  Most of you might not care, but for this 6-footer it is helpful.  Obviously, I would go with the pants from a place like this.  Love the cropped mustard ones. 

And most of all, I really want to support handmade.  I know it might sound cliche, but honestly, I feel like I know these women.  I know most of them have a 9to5 job and are doing this on the side.  They are all competing with big corporate companies and if lil ole me could help (specially by shopping, I'm good at that), I'm gonna.  

 This beauty is the Sienna from La Luce.  I might not wait until Christmas for this beauty.  Actually, I won't be waiting til Christmas. Just decided. BAM.

This beautiful hand-crafted mug is coming from NS Pottery.  She is such a lovely girl and I LOVE her stuff.  I actually already have a beautiful ring on the way, so that is why I chose the mug.  It might get a few gifts from here too! 

And then all these too.  Is someone taking notes?  These beauties come from The Sunshine Stitch where my beautiful brown cowl came from.  I love the little coffee sleeve, so cute.  It has become a tradition on our house for Daddy to wear a Santa's Hat for Christmas day, maybe she could custom make one for my husband's big head??  And the beauty on the right, maybe she could custom make one for my big head?? Do you think I could pull it off? It's so pretty!

I could add so much more, but honestly I don't want to have 10 billion photos of what I want for Christmas.  
But here's what I am thinking.  Since I really want to support handmade in the upcoming holidays, why don't all your Etsy-ians give me a shout out.  Send me an e-mail with your shop name and link and what you primarily sell.  I am going to create a Christmas Gift guide with all your beauties!!!  Don't have an Etsy?  Submit for someone else!!
Oh yay, I am so excited this is gonna be fun.  Send them here please: Natalia@manouvellemode.com
Have a great weekend!!

Our Love Story ~ Reader's Digest Version

I can't remember if I ever posted this here, but I thought I would do it anyway because if I did, it was long enough ago that a. you're a new reader or b. you forgot.  I won’t go into too much detail because that would be like a million part series, but I would love to share our Reader’s Digest version.  Let me tell you a little bit about us.  I was born and raised in southern California.  My husband, Lavar, was born and raised in Nassau, Bahamas.  We are different in so many aspects of our lives.  He grew up in a home that didn’t have running water until he was in college.  I grew up in an upper middle class white American family.  He has bullet wounds and a knife scar from growing up in a bad area.  I don’t know if I have ever seen a gun.  I tell you all these things because I want to show how love can prevail, no matter what family situation or what people think. 

Pics from our real wedding day

We met in college.  I cannot remember him for the life of me until our second semester and he remembers where I was standing, and what I was wearing the first time he saw me. J  I actually had to pay for our first date because I lost a bet.  Nice, Lavar. Nice.  We liked each other immediately but didn’t actually officially start dating until our junior year.  In the meantime, we dated other people, were friends, didn’t talk at all, and then back to friends.  When we did start dating, there were quite a few people that were not okay with it because it was interracial. We had a lot of people against us throughout our college career, which made things rather difficult.  We had to break up twice during his season because his coach, who was black, did not want him dating me.  We actually were not allowed to talk at all for those 3 or 4 months out of the year. (like whole other series for that)  I was never the kind of girl to get ‘stuck’ on a boy.  I didn’t let anyone get to me.  I think I have shed tears over maybe one other guy.  Lavar was the only one who I couldn’t get out of my head, no matter what.  Turns out, I loved him and haven’t stopped since!

First year of marriage

 After we graduated college, our relationship was so much easier.  We didn’t have anyone trying to tear us apart.  We got married two years later and then up and moved to France. Our wedding day was one of my favorite in my life.  So we have two races, two cultures, (thankfully one language), two upbringings, and living in a country that is neither of ours.  To say it was hard would be an understatement.  We have since learned more about each other and what it means to be married and think of others first.  By no means have we got it perfect and I'm gonna be real with you, we fight.  But we are learning more and more how to laugh things off.  One of my favorite sayings which pretty much sums up our relationship is this: Lavar’s pastor said this on our wedding day “Two cultures, two races, two countries, two people, ONE GOD.”    

And now we are a happy little family, with two monster boys living in France (eating me out of house and home) and enjoying life!  I hope you have enjoyed our little story! 


I am writing over here today about a few pieces of advice I had about long distance relationships.  ANd trust me, unfortunately, I am qualified.  Go check it out!